I am looking at a New Vue camera made in the 1940s. Can anyone tell me if they ever owned one and more about it? It is a 4x5 all metal view camera. What is todays used market value for this camera in excellent condition? talltandj@aol.com

-- Thomas Ferko (talltandj@aol.com), January 26, 1998

Answers

Thomas, I had a brief encounter with a New Vu a while back. The camera has 2 rails and weighs a ton! The movements are not ample, but would suit most people. The camera is built like a tank, but not a field camera by any means. The red bellows are a nice touch, but on a camera that old, they will often need to be replaced. I have seen them at camera shows occasionaly for around $100.00, no lens, in good condition. If you are not wed to this camera and are looking for a mono-rail view camera at a decent value , might I suggest a Calumet (Orbit) 400 series camera popular in the 60's. They can be had for not much more than the New Vu at half the weight.

Regards..

-- Britt Leckman (bleckman@gmu.edu), January 27, 1998.

Hi Thomas...I have been using a New Vue for all my large format work for about five years now, and I'm very fond of it. Granted, it is heavy, but I find that minor inconvenience more than offset by its rock like stability.The movements are more than sufficient for my needs.But as a studio camera it would have limitations. The biggest one being a relatively short bellows. The longest lens I can use on it is about a 180, and that's only at infinity.For field work,I use a 165 caltar-ilex, and that seems to give me all the closeup capability I can handle. I frequently use the rear focus when working up close. As with any new equipment, only experience will tell if its right for you.They are quite inexpensive, and I find that duct tape will cope with most bellows leaks,should you find any. The movements are easy to adjust and settings stay put, especially with a polaroid back.I replaced the ground glass with one from Zone VI and it fit perfectly. IMHO it's a good solid camera. I would suggest you take the plunge.Regards...

-- Kevin Mulligan (ChezMugs@aol.com), May 25, 1998.